Recommendations from the Rhone Rangers Tasting

When I think of wines from the Rhône Valley, I think of juicy Grenache, meaty Syrah, and complex GSM blends. But the first wine that wowed me at the 16^th Annual Rhône Rangers Grand Tasting event in San Francisco this past weekend was a white wine. It reminded me of how tasty the white Rhône varieties are—and with the weather warming up, this was a helpful reminder!

When I arrived at the Fort Mason Pavilion on Saturday afternoon, I didn’t have a plan of action. The wineries were organized alphabetically so I started at Andrew Murray and strolled down to Davis Family Vineyards, a booth that was crowded and a winery I'd never heard of before.  

I was very impressed with the Davis Family 2009 “Cuvee Luke” ($26/bottle). Named after their grandson and sourced from vineyards in the Sierra Foothills, this refreshing white is a classic blend of Marsanne, Roussane, and Viognier. It is opulent yet balanced with ripe fruit flavors and lively acidity. The Davis Family Tasting Room is in Healdsburg and also offers quite a few red wines including Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Syrah.

I discovered a scrumptious Grenache from Mounts Family Winery, another Healdsburg-based winery. Their 2010 Grenache ($30/bottle) is estate-grown in the Dry Creek Valley. It is medium-bodied and luscious with plenty of red fruit on the palate and a finish that tastes like strawberries and spice.

My next stop was for the famed 2011 Grenache Blanc ($24/bottl) from Two Shepherds Vineyards. Recently recommended by Jon Bonné in the SF Chronicle, it is a delicious and super-limited production sourced from the Santa Ynez Valley. Aged on the lees in a combination of neutral oak and stainless steel, this white wine is abundant and persistent on the palate with citrus. stone fruit, and excellent acidity. Winemaker and founder William Allen uses an Old World, hands-off approach as he gently “shepherds” the grapes from the vineyard to the bottle. His Grenache ($32/bottle) and Syrah ($35/bottle) come from Russian River Valley and are very tasty with bright fruit and delicate tannins.

The best Mourvedré I tasted was from Kenneth Volk Vineyards. From the Enz Vinyeard in Lime Kiln Valley (San Benito County), the 2009 Mourvedré is rich and succulent with notes of black cherry, licorice, and blueberry. If you’re into “heirloom” wines, definitely check this winery out—they produce wines that are not usually farmed in California, including Torrontes, Aglianico, Negrette, and Tempranillo.

As I approached the end of the alphabet, I arrived at Zaca Mesa, a winery in Los Olivos that I visited about eight years ago. From the vibrant 2010 Viognier (only $16/bottle!) to the tasty 2008 “Z Cuvee” ($20/bottle), the wines were just as enjoyable as I remembered them. Current winemaker Eric Mohseni even poured me a little something special—the 2009 Black Bear Block Syrah ($60/bottle), which stole the spotlight. It was powerful yet elegant with flavors of blackberry, plum, and licorice. The Black Bear Block was named for the black bears that live nearby; it is the oldest remaining Syrah vineyard on the Central Coast and was the first planting of Syrah in the Santa Barbara County. It was truly a grand finale!

If you didn’t make it to the Rhône Rangers tasting this year, I hope you can make it next year. It was a great event with so many fantastic producers. Thank you to the organizers and all of the participants! There are RR events coming soon to Los Angeles (June 23^rd) and Chicago (September 11-12^th).

Are you a fan of Rhône varieties? Who are your favorite producers of American Rhône wines?

Family Winemakers Tasting in SF

Wine tasting events at Fort Mason in San Francisco are always fun, crowded, and loud. And the 2012 Family Winemakers Tasting held this past Sunday, September 9^th was no exception!

There was a terrific mix of large, established wineries and small, newer producers. I tasted some wines from wineries with which I was already familiar—including the exquisite 2008 vintage from Ladera, the new Grenache-based wine from Orin Swift, and Rhone blends from Tablas Creek—as well as a lot of unfamiliar stuff.

I reviewed the list of participating wineries before I arrived at the tasting, making note of a few wineries in particular that I wanted to get to. Main Street Wine Bar carries the 2011 Enkidu Tin Cross Vineyard Chardonnay ($30/bottle), so I was eager to try that wine. It was light and refreshing with crisp acidity and mild citrus notes.  Enkidu’s winemaker was pouring about 7 other wines, so I tried a few a more. I also really enjoyed the 2008 Humbaba [red] Rhone Blend ($28/bottle) and I was very impressed with the two Cabernet Sauvignons. The 2009 Napa “E” Cab was complex and fruit-forward with integrated tannins (and only $24/bottle!). The 2009 Sonoma Valley Cab was equally delicious ($45/bottle). Enkidu produces more than 10 different wines but no more than about 3500 cases total; their tasting room in Kenwood is open daily.

The best Pinot Noirs of the day were from a small, brand new producer called Ten Acre. The wines came highly recommended by a friend from Napa (otherwise I might have missed these cool-climate gems). The winemaker was pouring a selection of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. I tasted four different vineyard-designate Pinots from the Russian River and Sonoma Coast ($35-$65/bottle). They were elegant, juicy, and focused. I don't know if these wines are in distribution yet, but you can taste them at the Bella Vineyards tasting room in Healdsburg (which I suggest you do!).

The Hook and Ladder wines were also quite tasty. They were being poured at a booth down at the far end of the pavilion and by the time I got there, the entire place was packed. (This is the unfortunate aspect of such large tastings—you don’t get much time to get acquainted with each wine and it’s so loud it makes conversation extremely difficult.) So, although I didn’t get to hear the story about Hook and Ladder Winery, I sampled a few of their wines. These wines are extremely well-made and a great value. The 2009 Tillerman Bordeaux-style blend was awesome! When I asked for the price, I heard $70—but it was actually only $17. I definitely look forward to tasting these wines again.

A few other wines of note were the 2007 Kelleher Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Inspiration RRV Pinot Noir and the Gregory Graham wines from Lake County.

Thank you to the Family Winemakers of CaliforniaOrganization and the participating wineries for such a great event. I would definitely recommend this event—and I plan to go again next year (but I will go as early as possible to try to beat the crowds). Cheers!

Like being in Spain for one great meal

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I met a friend for dinner at B44 Catalan Bistro on Belden Lane in San Francisco.

At 5 pm every night, this tiny side street transforms into a little slice of Spain. Or France. Or Italy. (Depending on which restaurant you go to.) It becomes a pedestrian-only lane as tables and chairs are moved onto the street for dinner service. Awnings go up and strands of lights are hung. Attractive hostesses stand at the sidewalk and beckon new patrons.

At B44, we settled at an outdoor table, conveniently under a heater (it’s San Francisco, after all). A busboy poured us water without ice (so European!) right away, but the server ignored us for a while (also very European).

So we had plenty of time to scan the menu, which featured a long list of tapas, paella with an assortment of different ingredients, and many mouthwatering Spanish wines.

We started with Cava and a selection of tasty charcuterie with crusty bread. It was a delicious start to our meal.

Before our entrees were served, we noticed the other restaurants along the street were starting to fill up—it was becoming quite a scene with an eclectic crowd. Loud and lively, just like I experienced on my last trip to Spain [and I loved it!].

I ordered a glass of the 2010 Camins del Priorat to pair with my paella of chicken, sausage, clams and squid. My entrée was served in a cast-iron pan, which I think sat in the oven for a few minutes too long—but I enjoyed it any way.

The wine was amazing; full-bodied with soft tannins and flavors of boysenberry, blueberry, and black raspberry. It had an elegant finish with a whisper of cinnamon spice. This juicy blend is 60% Carignan, 30% Garnacha (Grenache), 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Syrah; I found in on Wine.com for $21.99.

Doug ordered the lobster paella and was nice enough to share. His dish was presented with a large piece of lobster and the saffron rice was still moist and chewy. Both paellas were expertly seasoned and large enough for two people to share.

In lieu of dessert, we ordered the Spanish cheese plate; all three cheeses were delicious, but Manchego is the only one I can remember. There was another semi-firm cheese and one that was more similar to a gooey goat’s milk cheese. I ordered a glass of Rioja to pair with our final course, but I should have had another glass of the Priorat.

Although I hope to travel back to Spain soon, when I need my fix for paella and Spanish wine, I will definitely go back to B44. Cheers!

Pinot Party at Fort Mason

Yesterday was the 8th Annual Pinot Days Grand Festival at Fort Mason in San Francisco. According to their website, it is the "largest gathering of Pinot Noir producers in the world." With more than 150 producers from California, Oregon, and France, there were many wines to try!

I attended the event with a fellow wine writer and friend, Alana Gentry ("Girl with a Glass", pictured at left). We arrived with no game plan, choosing to approach wineries at random (sometimes it was the label that caught our eye or the winery name or a crowded table that attracted us).

Although there were a few more corporate wineries with large production wines, it seemed like most of the Pinots we tasted were of limited production (a few hundred cases to a couple thousand cases)--and most of them were new to my palate. I can't say I was a fan of every wine I tasted, but after two hours, I had a long list of favorites:

Sequana Wines was a winery I recognized, but I didn't know they made so many vineyard-specific Pinot Noirs. The Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot was super tasty with nice depth and concentration. I also really liked the Dutton Ranch and Russian River Valley Pinots.

Expression Wines was a winery that sounded familiar but I couldn't recall ever tasting their wines previously. They were pouring a trio of Pinot Noirs; one each from Oregon, Sonoma, and Napa. I don't know many wine companies that can offer such a diverse portfolio of wines. Each wine was delicious, full-flavored, and unique!

Woodenhead was another winery that was new to me. Their Russian River Valley Pinot was light and juicy. The second wine they poured us was called "Wet Kiss" and it suited its name--very playful and easy to drink. This winery makes quite a few vineyard designate wines, including Zinfandel and French Colombard.

Cornerstone Cellars was a familiar name to me because of their tasting room in Yountville, but they also produce Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. This was news to me. We tasted two vintages....both were beautiful wines with elegant aromas. Light-hued in the glass. Distinctly Oregonian. At the time, my mouth was watering for duck confit; it would have been the perfect compliment to these wines.

JCB is a collection of wines inspired by Jean-Charles Boisset's French heritage and his love for California winemaking. I loved the simple black label with gold lettering--très chic! They were pouring a very refreshing Brut Rosé from Burgundy as well as a few Pinot Noirs.

Just when we thought we had had enough, I spotted the sign for Abiouness Wines, which I had heard were lovely but had never tasted. Unknowingly, we saved the best for last. Nicole Abiouness, the winemaker/owner, was happy to tell us about her wines and the distinct vineyard sites from which she sources the grapes. I loved the Hudson Vineyard Pinot; it was concentrated with a rich mouthfeel and dark fruit flavors. Oh so wonderful!


I was glad to see a few familiar wineries whose wines I always enjoy...including Dutton-Goldfield, Domaine Serene, Sojourn Cellars, Failla, and Eric Kent Wine Cellars.

Always held in mid-June at Fort Mason, I strongly recommend you attend Pinot Days next year. What a fun event!

Some decisions are easier than others

If you know me, you'll know that at times I can be frustratingly indecisive. I blame it on my birth sign. But sometimes it's because there are too many good options that it makes choosing difficult.

As much fun as it was to try some new Italian wines last weekend at Sociale, when I saw the Copain Tous Ensemble Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley on the wine list at dinner this past Saturday night, I had no hesitation in making a decision.

We were at Rose Pistola (rosepistolasf.com) after an exceedingly hot day in the Bay Area. The restaurant was lively without seeming crowded. A nice breeze blew in through the open window just beyond our table.

As you would expect from an establishment located in the heart of North Beach in San Francisco, the wine list included many Italian wines. The list was approximately 8 pages long, and I was glad to see that it offered options from all over the world. I recognized quite a few bottles from California and I also noticed that the mark-up was not excessive. I guess I wasn't the only one who noticed because there appeared to be a bottle of wine on every table around us.

We had not decided on any appetizers or entrees yet--they all looked delicious!--so ordering a bottle of Pinot Noir seemed like our best bet in terms of versatility. At $44 a bottle, the Copain Pinot was an excellent value.

Seconds after I closed the wine list, a manager (or sommelier?) approached our table and took our wine order. I was relieved when he collected the all-purpose wine glasses from the table and returned with Burgundy stemware. Finally, a restaurant that understands the importance of varietal-specific stemware!

He presented the bottle to me and placed the cork on the table. The wine was just as tasty as I remembered.

A beautiful bright red hue with a medium-light body, this wine offered floral aromas and good acidity. The palate was a delightful concoction of strawberry, cherry, and pomegranate flavors. The finish was short, but the wine was so easy to drink that the time that elapsed between sips was short, too.

Our dinner was delicious, and everything paired nicely with the wine. The menu was as diverse as the wine list, with many appetizers, soups and salads, pasta dishes, and large entrees. Spring vegetables and seasonal flavors were highlighted throughout the menu.

After much debate, we decided on the beef carpaccio and burrata with fava beans to start. These were both absolutely fabulous appetizers, especially with the warm focaccia bread they served. Each of us ordered a different pasta dish; I had the parpadelle with asparagus and pork sugo.

Our only complaint was the lack of follow-up after our main course was served. I am a big fan of pepper--I add more than most people do, so I prefer to have the pepper grinder on the table, within easy reach. Sprinkling pepper on my meal is in no way an insult to the chef, it's just my preference.

I've noticed more and more restaurants do not provide salt and pepper on the table. If they offer it to you when your meal is served, that's one thing, but we were not offered. My boyfriend waited patiently to get the attention of the staff to request pepper as his pasta got cold. Finally, we were able to flag down a busboy--apparently the restaurant had very few pepper grinders because he had to run all the way to the front of the restaurant to fetch one.

With some fresh pepper on the last few bites of my pasta, I was quite content. As we finished the wine, we considered the dessert options. Although they looked enticing, we decided we were too full for another bite.

I highly recommend Rose Pistola and I will definitely go back. And I just might have to join Copain's wine club to get regular shipments of their delicious Pinot Noir (copainwines.com).

When in Rome...order Italian wine

I have a confession to make. I know very, very little about Italian wine.

As much as I would like to learn more--and drink more--Italian varietals, quality examples are hard to come by. There are many Italian restaurants in the Bay Area, but Californian wines seem to dominate wine lists everywhere. There's very little risk in ordering a bottle of wine that I've already had and liked, but I also realize I won't discover new wines by playing it safe.

Last night, I went to dinner at Sociale, a hidden gem of a restaurant in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. Sociale is a study in northern Italian fare--and a great place to expand one's knowledge of Italian wines. (www.sfsociale.com)

The wine list was expansive without being overwhelming. But it didn't speak my language. Although I spotted a few wines from Sonoma and Napa, I ignored them. As my eyes scanned the list, I recognized a few varietals (I've had a few mediocre Sangioveses in my life and I've read in the Wine Spectator that Brunello di Montalcinos are amazing but quite pricey), but I had no idea what to order.

Our server addressed our table within minutes of our arrival and told us about the specials. At our request, the sommelier appeared a moment later. I told him that we would prefer something red, fruit-forward, and in the $50-$60 price range. Without being pretentious or condescending, he recommended two wines that he promised were both fruit-forward and would pair well with most of the menu.

He suggested a Montepulciano ($60/bottle) that was complex but not too heavy and a Sangiovese (only $36/bottle) that was very fruity.

We opted for the 2008 Le Berne Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and although it was a little cold when first poured, it opened up nicely. It had luscious red cherry and currant flavors, good acidity, and a medium-plus body.

For our first course, we shared an order of the fried olives--absolutely delicious!--and the mushroom pot pie. The server also brought us a beet salad--on the house--which was light and tasty, too. I probably wouldn't order the pot pie again, if only because there were many other tempting options (like the duck meatballs).

And we enjoyed our wine so much that it was gone before our entrees arrived!

Sociale is a small, cozy space, so it didn't take me long to flag down the sommelier to order a second bottle. We decided to try his other recommendation; he poured the wine as our main course arrived.

The Sangiovese was very easy to drink; with bright red fruit and more acidity than the first wine. It complimented my arctic char surprisingly well. My dining companions ordered the quail and the spinach linguine with prawns; they didn't have any complaints either.

As our empty plates were cleared, we were surprised it was already 9 pm. Every table in the place was occupied; despite the low ceilings, we could still hear each other just fine and the service never suffered. The food was delicious, the sommelier was very helpful, and the waitstaff was there when needed.

Taking a risk on a couple bottles of Italian wine was a very good and pleasurable venture indeed!